"USB-ETHERNET-AX88772B" adaptor non fanctional with iMX233 MICRO board

[kostas]

Hi everybody
I work for years with iMX233 MICRO boards and "USB-ETHERNET-AX88772B" adaptor without any problem.
Last purchase was on September 2022, 15pcs "USB-ETHERNET-AX88772B"
All 15 adaptors have had the following label on their packing box
Olimex PN: 9000044835
Quantity: 1
Date YYWW: 2148
Lot Code: POD1530

It happens that none of them works with iMX233 MICRO board
I recompiled the latest Linux drivers from ASIX (v5.00), without success
By inspecting the booting process via serial port, they look like they are equipped with a new chip, so called "AX88772D", for which there is no any reference in ASIX's site
nor it is included into their drivers list.
I'm a little bit stuck and i was wondering if there is any workaround

Best Regards
Kostas

[LubOlimex]

Overtime ASIX phases older revisions of these chips and replaces them with newer revisions. When we started re-selling these adapters they came with AX88772B and at some point they started coming with AX88772C and now they switched to AX8872D:

- The chip inside is ASIX AX88772D, with VID = 0B95 and PID = 1790 and REV = 0300. This is a newer version of AX88772B and AX88772C which were used in these modules previously;
- This is NOT an USB-to-Gigabit chip, if it gets recognized as such, then the drivers are wrong;
- I had no problems with the drivers for this chip under Windows, but I am not certain about the Linux drivers, maybe ASIX would know more. You can download the latest drivers for Windows from this link here:

https://www.olimex.com/Products/USB-Modules/USB-ETHERNET-AX88772B/resources/AX88179A-AX88772D_20220427driver.zip

[kostas]

Dear LubOlimex
Many thanks for your reply
I'm happy to see that AX88772D is included in their driver list for Windows

My problem is that i use the adaptor with iMX233 MICRO board (kernel 2.6.35+) in order to give it ethernet connection capability.
I used to download from ASIX's site their newest Linux driver source code and compile against iMX233.
This time i can't find Linux source code suitable for AX88772D

Kindly advise

Best Regards
Kostas

[kostas]

Hi again!
I've finally managed to find the linux source concerning AX881772D. It's included into AX88179A drivers. Unfortunately some newer functions missing and compilation does not execute to the end.

Please find below results of make command

[root@NetServer_iMX asix88179a-88772d]# make
make -C /usr/lib/modules/2.6.35-8-ARCH+/build M=/root/asix88179a-88772d modules
make[1]: Entering directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.35-8-ARCH+'
  CC [M]  /root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.o
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c: In function 'ax_get_drvinfo':
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:55:2: error: implicit declaration of function 'strscpy' [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c: In function 'ax_start_xmit':
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:1357:2: error: implicit declaration of function 'skb_tx_timestamp' [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c: In function 'ax_check_ether_addr':
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:1746:3: error: implicit declaration of function 'eth_random_addr' [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c: In function 'ax_suspend':
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2126:2: error: implicit declaration of function 'PMSG_IS_AUTO' [-Werror=implicit-function-declaration]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c: At top level:
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2172:2: error: unknown field 'ndo_set_features' specified in initializer
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2172:22: error: 'ax88179_set_features' undeclared here (not in a function)
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2189:2: error: unknown field 'ndo_set_features' specified in initializer
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2243:1: warning: data definition has no type or storage class [enabled by default]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2243:1: warning: type defaults to 'int' in declaration of 'module_usb_driver' [-Wimplicit-int]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2243:1: warning: parameter names (without types) in function declaration [enabled by default]
/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.c:2227:26: warning: 'ax_usb_driver' defined but not used [-Wunused-variable]
cc1: some warnings being treated as errors
make[2]: *** [/root/asix88179a-88772d/ax_main.o] Error 1
make[1]: *** [_module_/root/asix88179a-88772d] Error 2
make[1]: Leaving directory `/usr/src/linux-2.6.35-8-ARCH+'
make: *** [all] Error 2

I'm a little bit stuck again, waiting for some response

Having no suitable USB/Ethernet adapter for iMX233 series, sounds like this is the EOL concerning iMX233 boards

Best Regards
Kostas

[lambda]

Maybe it is an option for you to switch to mainline kernel?

Ie OpenWRT has precompiled images with recent mainline kernels, that work pretty well.

https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/22.03.3/targets/mxs/generic/

HTH,
Harald

[kostas]

Dear Lambda
Thank you very much for your reply
I' ll give it a try!

[kostas]

Unfortunatelly iMX233 OpenWrt support stops on version 15.05
I would expect an "End of Life" announcment from Olimex, or even better a "Last Chance Order" for those keeping even a small production based on their boards (we currently have about 70 orphan peripheral boards as well as equal number of 6M rail mount enclosures)

[lambda]

There is a misunderstanding there: OpenWRT renamed the imx233 platform to mxs. I'm pretty sure the images at the link I posted work fine!

Edit: The reason I'm only pretty sure and not totally sure is, because I actually built a custom image instead of using the pre compiled one. Bet there is https://downloads.openwrt.org/releases/22.03.3/targets/mxs/generic/u-boot-mx23_olinuxino/ - so I seems olinuxino is still supported from the official image too.

[kostas]

Thank you very much
I'll give it a try and i'll let you know

Best Regards
Kostas

[kostas]

In the meantime
I was able to locate the right Linux driver for AX88772D from ASIX's site
It is for AX88179, "not for new design" as mentioned into ASIX's page
That solves me the problem for the last 10pcs iMX233-OLinuXino-MICRO that i still have on stock
iMX233-OLinuXino-MICRO is mentioned as "OBSOLETE" several days ago
@LubOlimex
I was wondering if there is a possibility to purchase some more 15-20pcs

[LubOlimex]

Good, thank you for the update. About the iMX233-OLinuXino-MICRO, please drop an e-mail at support@olimex.com and ask about availability.